The list of British 800 metres athletics champions covers four competitions;
the Amateur Athletic Club Championships (1866-1879) the AAA Championships (1880-2006), the UK Athletics Championships which existed from 1977 until 1993, with a single further event in 1997, and ran concurrently with the AAA Championships. the current British Athletics Championships which was founded in 2007,
Background The AAA Championships were open to international athletes but a guest international was not considered the National Champion in this list if they won the relevant Championship, that title going to the highest placed British athlete in the event. Despite this, the AAA Championships were regarded as more prestigious than the British-only UK Championships event for most of the latter's existence, although both were recognised as national championships. The UK Championships were ended in 1997, while the AAA Championships were supplanted by the British Athletics Championships in 2007. While the AAA Championships continue, they are no longer regarded as crowning a British champion.
Michael Rimmer with seven titles, and Diane Modahl née Edwards and Kelly Holmes, with eight titles each, are the most successful British athletes in the history of the event domestically.
Past winners AAC Championships 880 yards, mens event only Year Men's champion1866Percy Thornton1867William Frere1868Edward Colbeck1869Robert Somers-Smith1870 Robert Somers-Smith (2)1871Arthur Pelham1872Thomas Christie / George Templer1873 Arthur Pelham (2)1874Edward Sandford1875Edward Sandford (2)1876Frederick Elborough1877 Frederick Elborough (2)1878Henry Whately / Lees Knowles1879 William Bolton / Charles Hazen-Wood AAA Championships 880 yards, men's event only Year Men's champion1880 Samuel Holman1881 Sidney Baker1882 Walter George1883 William Birkett1884 Walter George (2)1885 G.W. Wathen1886 Ernest Robinson1887 Francis Cross1888 Alfred Le Maitre1889 Henry Tindall1890 Thomas Pitman1891 William Holmes1892 William Holmes (2)1893 Edgar Bredin1894 Edgar Bredin 1895 Edgar Bredin (3)1896 William King1897 Albert Relf1898 Albert Relf (2)1899 Alfred Tysoe1900 Alfred Tysoe (2)1901 John Cleave1902 Arthur Manning1903 Bernard Blunden1904 Herbert Workman1905 Bernard Blunden (2)1906 Arthur Astley1907 Ivo Fairbairn-Crawford1908 Theodore Just1909 Arthur Astley (2)1910 Eddie Owen1911 NBA1912 James Soutter1913 Cyril Frisby1914 Albert Hill1919 Albert Hill 1920 Albert Hill (3)1921 Edgar Mountain AAA Championships & WAAA Championships Year Men's champion Year Women's champion880 yards1922Edgar Mountain (2)1922Mary Lines1923Cecil Griffiths1923Edith Trickey1924Henry Stallard1924Edith Trickey 1925Cecil Griffiths (2)1925Edith Trickey 1926Dougles Lowe1926Edith Trickey 1927Dougles Lowe 1927Edith Trickey (5)1928Dougles Lowe (3)1928Ivy Barber1929Cyril Ellis1929Violet Streater1930Tommy Hampson1930Gladys Lunn1931 Tommy Hampson 1931Gladys Lunn 1932Tommy Hampson (3)1932Gladys Lunn1933 Clifford Whitehead1933Ruth Christmas1934 Jack Cooper1934Gladys Lunn1935James Stothard1935Nellie Halstead1936Jack Powell1936Olive Hall1937Arthur Collyer1937Gladys Lunn (5)1938Arthur Collyer (2)1938Nellie Halstead (2)1939Godfrey Brown1939Olive Hall (2)1945nc1945Phyllis Richards1946 Tom White1946Phyllis Richards (2)1947 Tom White (2)1947Nellie Batson1948 John Parlett1948Nellie Batson 1949John Parlett (2)1949Hazel Spears1950 Roger Bannister1950Margaret Hume1951 Frank Evans1951Nellie Batson (3)1952 Roger Bannister (2)1952Margaret Taylor1953 Brian Hewson1953Anne Oliver1954 Brian Hewson 1954Diane Leather1955Derek Johnson1955Diane Leather 1956 Mike Rawson1956Phyllis Perkins1957Mike Rawson (2)1957Diane Leather (3)1958 Brian Hewson 1958Joy Jordan1959 Brian Hewson (4)1959Joy Jordan 1960Tom Farrell1960 Joy Jordan 1961Tony Harris1961Joy Jordan 1962Sid Purkis1962Joy Jordan (5)1963 NBA1963Phyllis Perkins (2)1964Chris Carter1964Anne Smith1965Chris Carter 1965Anne Smith 1966 Chris Carter (3)1966Anne Smith 1967John Boulter1967Anne Smith (4)1968John Davies1968Lillian Board800 metres - metrification1969Dave Cropper1969Pat Lowe1970Andy Carter1970Sheila Carey1971Peter Browne1971Rosemary Stirling1972Andy Carter 1972Pat Cropper (2)1973Andy Carter (3)1973Rosemary Wright (2)1974Steve Ovett1974Lesley Kiernan1975Steve Ovett 1975Angela Creamer1976Steve Ovett (3)1976Angela Creamer (2) AAA Championships/WAAA Championships & UK Athletics Championships dual championships era 1977-1987 Year AAA Men Year WAAA Women Year UK Men UK Women1977Sebastian Coe1977Christina Boxer1977Dave WarrenLesley Kiernan1978Dave Warren1978Christina Boxer 1978Sebastian CoeJane Colebrook1979Garry Cook1979Christine Benning1979Dane JosephChristina Boxer1980 Paul Forbes1980Anne Clarkson1980Dave Warren (2)Christina Boxer (2)1981Sebastian Coe (2)1981Anne Clarkson (2)1981Rob HarrisonGillian Dainty1982Peter Elliott1982Lorraine Baker1982Paul ForbesAnne Clarkson1983Peter Elliott1983Shireen Bailey1983Peter ElliottShireen Bailey1984Steve Cram1984Christina Boxer 1984Peter Elliott (2)Christina Boxer (3)1985John Gladwin1985Christina Boxer (4)1985Tom McKeanLiz MacArthur1986Steve Cram1986Diane Edwards1986Peter Elliott (3)Anne Purvis (2)1987 Peter Elliott (3)1987Diane Edwards 1987John GladwinDiane Edwards AAA Championships & UK Athletics Championships dual championships era 1988-1997 Year Men AAA Women AAA Year Men UK Women UK1988Steve Cram (3)Kirsty Wade1988Paul HerbertChristina Cahill (4)1989Ikem BillyDiane Edwards 1989Nick SmithAnn Williams1990Tom McKeanAnn Williams1990Ann WilliamsHelen Thorpe1991Tom McKean (2)Paula Fryer1991David SharpePaula Fryer1992Curtis RobbDiane Edwards 1992Curtis RobbLynne Robinson1993Martin SteeleKelly Holmes1993Martin SteeleKelly Holmes1994Craig WinrowDiane Modahl (née Modahl)n/a1995Curtis Robb Kelly Holmes n/a1996Curtis Robb (3)Kelly Holmesn/a1997 Noel Edwards Amanda Crowe1997Andy HartKelly Holmes (4)
AAA Championships second era 1998-2006 Year Men's champion Women's champion1998Jason LoboDiane Modahl (6)1999Mark SesayKelly Holmes 2000James McIlroyKelly Holmes 2001Neil SpeaightKelly Holmes 2002James McIlroy (2)Susan Scott2003Ricky SoosLucy Vaughan2004Sam EllisKelly Holmes (7)2005Tim BayleySusan Scott (2)2006Michael RimmerBecky Lyne British Athletics Championships 2007 to present Year Men's champion Women's champion2007Michael Rimmer Jemma Simpson2008Michael RimmerMarilyn Okoro2009Michael Rimmer Jemma Simpson2010Michael Rimmer Jemma Simpson (3)2011Andrew OsagieJenny Meadows2012Andrew Osagie (2)Lynsey Sharp2013Michael Rimmer Marilyn Okoro (2)2014Michael Rimmer (7)Lynsey Sharp 2015Kyle LangfordLynsey Sharp (3)2016Elliot GilesShelayna Oskan-Clarke2017Elliot GilesShelayna Oskan-Clarke 2018Elliot Giles Laura Muir2019Spencer ThomasShelayna Oskan-Clarke (3)2020Daniel RowdenKeely Hodgkinson2021Elliot Giles (4)Keely Hodgkinson2022Max BurginJemma Reekie2023Daniel Rowden (2)Keely Hodgkinson (3)2024Ben PattisonPhoebe Gill2025Max Burgin (2)Georgia Hunter Bell2026Jake WightmanGeorgia Hunter Bell (2)
NBA = No British athlete in final nc = not contested
Most titles ('AAA continuity' only; athletes in bold still active) +800 metres - most titlesTitlesMenWomen7Michael Rimmer (2006-10, 2012-13)Kelly Holmes (1993, 1995-96, 1999-2001, 2004)6Diane Modahl (1986-87, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1998)5Edith Trickey (1923-27)Gladys Lunn (1930-32, 1934, 1937)Joy Jordan (1958-62)4Elliot Giles (2016-18, 20121)Brian Hewson (1953-54, 1958-59)Anne Smith (1964-67)Christina Boxer (1977-78, 1984-85)310 athletes6 athletes (2 activeKeely Hodgkinson and Shelayna Oskan-Clarke.)
References